Get the scoop on the new car, truck and boat gear

iHobby 2007 iHobby Expo New Surface Releases

Taking 1/36-scale cars and trucks to the next level, the Losi Micro-Desert Truck offers desert racing-style in a micro truck that you can run practically anywhere regardless of the temperatures outside. It is just as at home in the living room or rec room as on the driveway or in the dirt. The Micro-Desert Truck looks phenomenal thanks to its aggressively styled body that features a molded front brush guard and headlight buckets along with a molded rear bumper. To help maintain the scale appearance, the Micro-Desert Truck also features "skinny" front and rear tires that accurately re-create the looks of a real desert racer. You won’t need to buy anything to get the Micro-Desert Truck rolling as it includes everything you’ll need for endless fun.

If you love full-size monster trucks the Losi Nitro Raminator Monster Truck is definitely a truck you’ll want to add to your garage. Combining scale-authenticity with awesome performance, this nitro-breathing monster has all the right features you need to rule the roost right out of the box. The Nitro Raminator includes a powerful and reliable M26SS engine that can be started any of three different ways; via pull start, spin start, or cordless drill. In fact, it rides on a plush mega-suspension that features oversized oil-filled coil-over shocks. The Nitro Raminator looks as good sitting still as it does throwing rooster tails of dirt from all four tires.

How would you like to have a model boat that is something that had both awesome performance and had so much attention to detail that you could display it as a static model when not in use? Now you can thanks to Pro Boat’s stunning PT-109 that combines static-model attention to detail with outstanding on-the-water performance. The actual PT-109 was commanded by former President John F. Kennedy in the Pacific during World War II. PT-boats were well-known for carrying significant armament on an extremely maneuverable platform, and the Pro Boat PT-109 captures that perfectly. Inside the hull you’ll find two 6-cell battery packs (not included) wired in parallel for superior runtimes. The PT-109’s dual-motors and forward/reverse speed control are water-cooled, and other stand-out features include a full lighting kit, 2-stick radio, and a stand to display your PT-109 when it is not running patrols in the nearest lake, pond, or river.

Catamarans are well known for being some of the fastest, most maneuverable, and most stable boats available. Pro Boat has brought their know-how for building great catamarans to the mini-world with the new Mini-C. Taking cues from its cousin the Mini-V, the Mini-C provides impressive performance in both top-speed and handling. Beneath the dual-pilot figures is the direct drive motor, forward/reverse electronic speed control, 6-cell battery pack and included wall charger. The Mini-C's hull provides positive stability and sleek styling that you can proudly display on the included stand. All you need to add are AA-batteries for the transmitter and you are ready to hit the water.

The Wildstreak Mini Hovercraft provides a totally different RC experience while showing that big fun can come in small packages. Out of the box the Wildstreak comes completely ready-to-run with a two-stick radio, rechargeable battery pack, and charger. Not only does it look great with its painted ABS plastic body, its compact design makes it possible to have fun just about anywhere. Floating on a cushion of air, the Wildstreak is a blast on tile, water, concrete and more.

Command the front line assault with the M1A2 Mini Abrams Tank from SPARC!. It’s a full-function controls allow you to maneuver forward, backward, left, right, and spin 360 degrees. The turret features an LED and recoil action, adding to the overall realism and experience. This tank is ready to take command with the included rechargeable battery pack, wall charger, and transmitter. The M1A2 Mini-Tank gives you the look, sound, and feel of a full military tank ready for battle.

The Losi name has always been synonymous with speed, performance, and cutting-edge technology. Keeping this philosophy in mind Losi unveiled their hot Xcelorin series of brushless motors and speed controllers. The Xcelorin gear has been designed to provide the performance you deserve while being user friendly and easy-to-use. Each Xcelorin motor uses precision ball bearings for the best possible performance and enhanced reliability. Whether you drive a 1/36-scale Micro-T, a 1/18-Scale Mini-Monster Baja, or a 1/10-scale XXX-T there’s something here to suit just about all your needs. The speed controls come pre-wired with industry standard connectors to make it easy to get plugged in and ready to roll.

One of the most expensive investments you will make is in your charging equipment, and having to buy a new charger to make the switch to LiPo batteries can make the switch harder. The Losi Lithium Charge Converter makes it possible to use your existing NiMH battery charger with the latest generation of LiPo battery packs without having to buy an entirely new charger. With the Lithium Charger Converter all you need to do is select the cell type, confirm the number of cells, adjust the charger to the correct output, plug it into the charger and start charging. Making the switch to LiPo technology has never been easier thanks to Losi.

With the popularity of nitro and the greater capacity of battery packs, wrist and hand fatigue can be a serious issue. By lightening your radio you can reduce or even eliminate fatigue issues. One of the easiest ways to lighten your radio is to install one of Losi’s new LiPo transmitter pack. In addition to their reduced weight, LiPo transmitter packs provide exceptional capacity and performance. Each battery pack features a balancing charge lead in addition to the correct lead to plug directly into the radio.

Having a receiver pack die on you in the middle of a race or outing can be a real drag. Whether your car or truck uses high-speed, high-torque digital servos or dual steering servos traditional Ni-MH receiver packs are often not up to snuff. Losi’s new high-capacity 2000mAh LiPo receiver pack provides exceptional voltage delivery and extended runtimes while lightening your vehicle and lowering the center of gravity. The Losi LiPo receiver pack is pre-wired with a balancing charging lead and a red JST power connector.

Nothing can bring you fun to a premature end like a battery pack dying on you. Get additional runtime and top speed out of your Micro-T, Micro-Baja, or Micro-Desert Racing Truck with Losi’s LiPo Battery Pack for 1/36-scale vehicles. These packs come pre-wired, you’ll just need to use the appropriate Losi LiPo charger (LOSB0864) and you’re ready to roll.

LiPo batteries are becoming more and more popular, especially as receiver packs in nitro vehicles. What you may not be aware of is that the additional voltage of LiPo packs could potentially damage your servos if its not properly regulated. LiPo battery packs have a nominal voltage of 7.4v, most servos are rated at only 6.0v, but thanks to Losi you can use LiPo receiver packs without worrying about damaging your gear. Losi has two convenient voltage regulator options depending on your needs, one with and one without a switch harness.

Whether you’re looking for lightning-fast response time or super torque JR’s got you covered with the new 9100S and 9100T digital servos. Ideal for just about any RC car or truck application, both feature a new red-anodized heatsink case to better dissipate heat and draw it away from critical electronic components. Both also feature metal gears for improved durability. And if numbers mean anything to you, you’ll love these servos as the 9100S features a .06 sec/60-degree transit time and 180 oz/in of torque, while the 9100T features an earth-shattering 370 oz/in of torque with a .15/60-degree transit time.

How do you improve on one of the easiest to use and safest Li-Po chargers available? The Dynamite AC/DC LiPo Charger does just that by adding the convenience of AC operation while maintaining the option to power your charger on the go from any 12-volt source. Compatible with 2-3 cell LiPo battery packs, the Dynamite AC/DC LiPo charger features variable charging rates from .5, 1.5 and 3.5 amps, front-mounted banana plugs for you to plug-in a voltmeter, and an easy-to-understand LED charge status indicator. The AC/DC LiPo Charger comes with adaptors to charge batteries equipped with JST and Losi Mini battery connectors as well.

Nothing is more frustrating than being on the water with your RC boat, having a great time, and all of a sudden you run out of power way too fast. The new IB 3600 and IB 4200 battery packs from Pro Boat provide longer runtimes in high-performance boats such as the Blackjack 26 Brushless or the Apache Catamaran than lower capacity cells. These new packs come pre-assembled with Deans Ultra Plugs pre-soldered on the pack for you. Another awesome feature is that these packs are hand-assembled with high-current battery bars that deliver much more power than packs made with cheaper spot-welded tabs.

The Sentry LiPo/NiMH Battery Capacity Gauge offers you an easy to use digital volt meter to quickly confirm charge levels on conventional Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries. In addition to traditional sub-c batteries, the Sentry Battery Capacity Gauge also measures LiPo packs. Featuring a large LCD digital display and a 7-step bar graph for quick assessment of battery charge levels, the Sentry is powered by the load battery eliminating the need for a separate power source.

If you own one of the new Traxxas Velineon Extreme Brushless Power Systems you already know that they provide your car or truck with exceptional speed and power. One of these motors can easily propel your car or truck over the 50MPH range, which can easily and quickly drain your battery packs and bring your day to a premature end. Extend your runtime and fun time now with the latest battery packs from Dynamite, designed specifically with the Traxxas Brushless system in mind. These new packs come standard with Traxxas’ exclusive High-Current connector pre-installed for you. Three different batteries will be available with these connectors, an EP4600, IB4200, and IB3800.